Finding a job during a global pandemic

In March 2020, as the U.S. was in the early throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kai Huang, D.M.D., began the difficult task of looking for a job amid the uncertainties of a global health emergency. Five months later, he found one.

“It was a very difficult time,” said Dr. Huang, who graduated in May 2020 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry and previously served as vice president of the American Student Dental Association. “There were very limited to no dental job openings due to theshutdown. Many dental offices and corporations were waiting for the reopening to evaluate their needs of hiring, and at the time, it was scarily unknown when things were going to open back up.”

Dr. Huang had his first interview in May 2020, shortly after the reopening in Florida, where he hoped to find a job.

“I wanted to be close to home, which is Orlando, Florida,” he said. “However, I had to broaden my search to nearly theentire state.”

He traveled as far as Panama City, Florida, for an interview but then realized it was too far from home.

Dr. Huang ultimately found a job as an associate at McGee Family Dentistry in Orlando, Florida, after owner Donald McGee, D.M.D., saw an ad Dr. Huang posted with the Dental Society of Greater Orlando that included his CV and contact information.

Although finding the right opportunity took longer than Dr. Huang expected, he did not want to make compromises that would impact his career down the line.

“I never wanted to compromise my work ethic and personal beliefs and change the type of dentistry that I wanted to practice. Especially the small habits and things that I pick up in the first few years of my career will carry on with me for the rest of my lifelong career,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to practice in a private office. It took me five months of searching to find the right place, and now I am happily practicing dentistry and building lifelong relationships with my patients.”